Bed construction for film-perforating machines.



A. S. HOWELL.

BED CONSTRUCTION FOR FILM PERFORATING MACHINES. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Dec. 17,1918.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. I917. 1,288,416.

A. S. HOWELL.

BED CONSTRUCTION FOR FILM PERFORATTNG MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2.1917- Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. S. HOWELL.

BED CONSTRUCTION FOR FILM PERFORMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 2. [9|].

1,288,416. Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' n WW HIM lllhllTE PATENT @lh l lfia ALBERT S. HOWLLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIR, TO BELL & HOWELL COMPANY, 01" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COEPORATIONDF ILLINOIS.

BED CONSTELUCTION FGR FILM-PERFOBATING MACHINES.

Application filed March 2, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT S. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed Constructions for Film-Perforating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for use in the cinematographieart, such as a machine for perforating the margins of strips of film, and more particularly my invention has reference to the construction of the bed or table across tvhich the film is adapted to travel to and from the perforating members.

Que of the objects of my invention is the provision of a bed, the parts whereof are so constructed and arranged that the sensitized film traversing the same will be handled so as to avoid scratching or marring the emul- Sion coating on said film. Another object of my invention is the provision of a bed struc' ture that is provided with means for accurately guiding the film strip to the perforators and at the same time be capable of compensating any slight unevenness in the edge of the film. As is Well known, after the emulsion has dried upon the film on account of its properties and the fact that it is applied to but one surface of the film. the strip of film has a tendency to curl slightly transversely, thus oftentimes rendering it (lifticult to handle and feed through the divers apparatus. It therefore becomes another object of my invention to provide means for supporting the film during its transit across the bed so that it is fed to the punching or perforating dies in a smooth and flat strip so that the perforations may be accurately positioned with respect to the marginal edges of the film. Still another object of my invention is the provision of a film passageway that is capable of accurate or minute ad-. justment with respect. to the perforating ele ments. Other objects of my invention are the provision of a bed for film perforating machines that is dependable in its operation, easy to manipulate, and possessing a maximum of eihciency with a minimum of parts.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1?, 191%.

Serial no. 152,010.

I prefer to accomplish the divers objects of my invention by substantially the means and in the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

.Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of a fragmentary portion of a type of a film perforating machine, showing a manner of applying my bed structure thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan of my bed structure with the upper portion of the perforating machine removed for the purpose of clearness.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the bed looking at the same from the left-hand or discharge end of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. l is an end view of the bed looking at the same from the right-hand or feed end of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the upper removable bed plate at the discharge end of the machine, the section being taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 of the drawings,

Referning to the drawings, it will be observed that similar reference characters have been employed to designate like parts throughout the divers figures thereof,

For purpose of convenience, I have disclosed my invention in connection with a film perforating machine similar to that illustrated and described in detail in a copending application for Letters Patent of the. United States filed by me March 2, 1917, Serial Number 152.009, although it Will be obvious that my invention may be applied to machines of other types, but with slight modification. Briefly stated. the perforating machine comprises a standard A, the up per port-ion whereof is provided with a table B, upon which a bed structure, the lower punching or perforating dies C. and the film feeding mechanism, are mounted, While an upwardly extended bracket arm or extension A of said standard carries the reciprocating or movable pilots D and upper punches or perforators 13 in a suitable guide F. The elements of the perforating mechanism and their operating devices are described in detail in my above-mentioned copending application for Letters Patent and neednot be further described, as they form no portion of the subject-matter of the present applica tion.

Secured to the opposite vertical ends of the table B are suitable substantially inverted l..shaped wings G and H, that are fitted thereon by dowels and tenons g and 71-, respectively, and the wing G is connected to its end of the table by headed countersunk bolts g, so as to effectively support the delivery end of the bed or carriage. In order to secure wing H to the table so that slight lateral adjustment thereof may be made, I prefer to provide a lateral embossment 10, upon the upright plate 11 thereof, that has a bore 12 slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the elongated securing bolt 13. The inner portion of bolt 13 is threaded and tapped into the adjacent portion of the table B, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, while its opposite end portion is preferably reduced slightly in diam eter, as at 14, and the end thereof secured to a suitable knurled head, 15. The shank or bossof head 15 is preferably bored out to aiiord a seat 16 for one end of a spring 17, the opposite end of said spring pressing against a washer 18, interposed between the adjacent ends of the shank and said lateral einbossment 10 in order to create friction when the head 15 is rotated, a handle 15 is provided on the head to assist in its manipulation. Oppositely disposed preferably alining screws 19 and 20 are tapped into the plate 11 of wing H, so that their inner ends will impinge or bear against the bolt 13 and thereby lock the same in position.

These screws 19 and 20 are also employed for the purpose of facilitating any lateral or transverse adj ustmentof the wing H that may be found necessary, and this adjustment is performed by turning the screws 19 and 20 in the direction it is desired to move the wing. As this adjustment is seldom more than a very small fraction of an inch, it may be done with considerable accuracy in the manner pointed out, it of course being understood that the distance will not be greater than the differences in diameter between the bolt 13 and the bore 12 in the embossment. Screws 19 and 20 may be conical shaped at their inner ends to interfit the threads of bolt 13 so that longitudinal adjustment of the wing H and the parts car ried thereby may be accomplished by slight rotation of bolt 13, thereby adjusting the same with respect to the punches.

Disposed upon the upper surface or" the wing H are suitably shaped rails or sills 21 and 22, the outer vertical edges whereot' register with the respective edges of the wing and which have their pper nner weenie edges rabbeted so that they are substantially L-shaped in cross-section. A plurality of longitudinally disposed elongated spaced blocks are fitted in parallel relation to each other intermediate the facing portions of these rails or sills 21 and 22, said blocks being longer than said rails so that they project beyond the outer end of the wing H, and their inner ends rest upon the upper surface of the table B and terminate adja cent the lower die member C of the perforator. tral row 25 of rollers are journaled insaid blocks so as to revolve freely in the spaces or slots 26, between said blocks and afiord anti-frictional supports for the margins and central portion of the strip of film that is adapted to be passed through the perforator with the emulsion surface uppermost. The upper surfaces of the two outer blocks 23, (those engaging the inner edges of the rails 21 and 22) preferably are the same height Two outer rows 24, 24: and a cenas the inner portions of said rails, and plates 27 and 28 are secured respectively upon the tops of said rails 21 and 22, so as to overhang the rabbeted portions thereof and provide suitable grooves or slots 29 and 30, that face each other and extend longitudinally of the receiving end of the bed or carriage.

Fitted in the groove 30 is a registering or giliide-plate 31 that is substantially the same length-as blocks 23 and has a stop pin 32 adjacent its outer end adapted to abut the outer end edge of plate 28 and stop the longitudinal movement of the guide plate 31 when said guide-plate 31 is being slid into position. The inner edge of the guide-plate 31 is undercut in order to provide an overhanging portion 33 above the adjacent row of rollers 24 and a row of rollers 34 are journalecl in a plurality of openings 35 formed in said overhanging portion 33. The disposition of rollers 34 and 2 1 is such that the adjacent segments thereof are spaced apart sufficiently to accommodate the strip of film 36 between them and to engage only the margin of the film strip in approximately the track in which the respective punches E will afterward perforate said film. The vertical surface 37 of the rabbeted portion'of guide plate 31 is adapted to be engaged by tne adjacent edge or" the film strip as it feeds through the feed end of the machine and thereby accurately guide said film to the perforating devices. A convenient lock mechanism is provided to retain the guide plate in position and eomprises a spring pressed bolt 38 that passes age of the film, I have provided a yielding or presser guide film plate 41 that is constructed sii'nilarly to its opposing guide plate just described and is positioned in the groove 29 formed by the rabbeted rail 21 and its overhanging plate 27, said guide -11 having one of its edges rabbeted to provide an overhanging portion 42 for the journaling of a plurality of rollers 43 in substantially vertical alinement with the adjacent coacting rollers 24. The adjacent margin of the lilm 36 is passed between these rollers 48 and their coacting companion set of rollers 2e and the vertical surface ll of the guide plate labbct yieldingly presses against the edge of the film strip as it travels between the rollers. T have stated that this guide plate 41 is of a yielding character and in order to make it so, I prefer to secure one end of a resilient strip of spring metal 45 to the rail 21, so that its free portion will engage the adjacent side edge of the guide plate 41 and keep said plate in yielding contact with the adjacent edge of the film strip. A stop pin 46 predetermines the distance said plate may be slid into groove 29 when being inserted and a spring actuated lock bolt 4;? passing through the rail 21 and seating in a. recess 48 of the guide plate, prevents accidental withdrawal of the latter.

T he rabbeted portions of the two guide plates 31 and 41 terminate slightly beyond the rollers nearest the die-member C and from these points the --vertical surfaces 37 and M, respectively, continue alongside said die-member and comprise the inner edges of tapering extensions 31 and 41 of said guide-plates. The upper surfaces of these extensions are stepped down to a lower horizontal plane than the upper surfaces of their respective guide plates to provide opposing plates 31 and 41", upon which a film clamping and stripping plate t9 seats prior to each punching operation of the dies.

After being perforated, the film is with drawn longitudinally from the die-plate C by a suitable shuttle mechanism I, that operates in a recess J made in the adjacent. portion of the wing G, the detailed description of this mechanism, however. being immaterial to the present invention. as the same forms a part of my copending application above mentioned. The shuttle mechanism withdraws the film strip and feeds the same to suitable guides from which it is discharged out of the carriage or bed of the machine and is wound upon a suitable receiving or winding spool in any convenient manner.

Secured to the upper surface adjacent the longitudinal edges of the wing G, are substantially inverted T-shaped sills, 50, 50, to the upper surfaces of the vertical members whereof horizontally disposed plates 51, 51

are secured so that their inner portions overhang the respective opposing lateral members of the sills and provide suitable longitudinal grooves 52, 52. Intermediate the sills is a plurality of longitudinally. elongated spaced blocks 53, 53, that are disposed in parallel relation to each other in a manner substantially similar to blocks 23 upon the opposite receiving or feeding wing of the table. Intermediate these blocks are two outer rows of rollers 54 and a center row of rollers 55, that have their spindles journaled in said blocks and are adapted to provide marginal and central anti-frictional supports for the film strip 36. A plate 56 of skeleton construction is disposed in the grooves 52 heretofore mentioned andjis provided with two parallel rows of apertures 57 for journa ling therein a plurality of rolL ers 58, 58, that are respectively in vertical alinement with the margin engaging roll ers, 54, carried by blocks 53. The intermediate portion 59 of the under surface of the plate 56 is preferably cut away so as to arch over the film strip adapted to pass thereunder in order to avoid touching the emulsioned surface thereof, which is uppermost. This plate 56 is preferably removable in order that the structure may be readily cleaned or repaired, and to facilitate thread ing the film therethrough, and this is conveniently done by providing a pivoted latch pawl 60 on wing G, the hooked end 61 whereof is pressed normally toward the plate 56 by a spring 62, so that it will enter a recess 63 in the adjacent longitudinal edge of said plate, while an operating pin 64 thereon extends upwardly through a segmental slot 65 in the overhanging plate 51.

The inner end of plate 56 is provided with parallel extensions 66 that terminate adjacent the die C, where they have rollers 67 journaled in recesses formed therein so as to receive the film strip immediately it is delivered from the perforators by the shuttle I.

From the above it will be observed that the film strip 36 in its transit through the bed or carriage, travels through a continuous guide passage, which, at the receiving end, comprises the blocks 23, the guide plate 31 and the yielding or compensating guide plate 41, together with their respective rollers, while at the discharging end of the machine the guide passage comprises blocks 58, the arched skeleton plate 56, and their respective rollers. The intermediate portion of this guide passage comprises the die C, the arms 31" and 41 of guide plate 31 and 41 and the stripper plate 49. It will be seen that the sensitized film is handled throughout so that at no time any portion of the emulsion surface that IS afterward to receive an impression or exposure is engaged or touched by the mechanism, thus avoiding marring and spoiling the same for future use.

The apparatus which I have described in detail is, of course, subject to slight modification and change Without materially departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore desire it understood that all such changes or alterations are contemplated as within the scope of my invention as pressed in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a film perforating machine, a table provided with perforating dies, laterally disposed wings mounted upon opposite sides of said dies and capable of transverse adjustment with respect thereto, guide-plates carried by said wings and forming a passageway upon opposite sides of said dies, a plurality of rollers adapted to engage the marginal and under surfaces of the film strip. and means whereby one of said guideplates is retained in yielding engagement with the film strip.

2. In a film perforating machine, a table provided with perforating dies, transversely adjustable lateral wings mounted upon opposite sides of said dies, guide-plates mounted upon one ofsaid wings and forming a feed passageway leading to said dies one of said plates adapted to yieldingly contact the edge of the film, separate guide-plates mounted upon the opposite wing forming a discharge passageway leading from said dies. and rollers upon said wings adapted to engage the margins of the film strip.

3. In a film perforating machine. a table provided with perforating dies. wings for said table disposed upon opposite sides of said dies. a film passageway leading to said dies consisting of base-blocks provided with a plurality of central and marginal film engaging rollers, guide-plates overhanging said marginal rollers, and a row 'of rollers in each plate coacting with said marginal rollers. and a film passageway leading from the opposite side of said dies consisting of base-blocks, and guide-plate. and a plurality of rollers journaled in said last-mentioned blocks and plates adapted to engage the margins of the film strip.

4. In a film perforating machine. a table provided with perforating dies. wings for said table disposed upon opposite sides of said dies. a film passageway leading to said dies consisting of base'blocks provided with a plurality of central and marginal film engaging rollers. guide-plates overhanging said marginal rollers. means for moving one of said plates yieldingly against the edge of the film strip. and a row of rollers .in each plate enacting with said marginal rollers. and a film passageway leading from the opposite side of said dies consisting of base- Lea ers blocks, and guide-plate, and a plurality of rollers journaled in said last-mentioned locks and plates adapted to engage the margins of the film strip.

5. A machine for perforating cinematographic film comprising a table provided with perforating dies, wings mounted at opposite ends of said table and each capable of transverse movement, and guide plates mounted on said wings and providinga passageway on opposite sides of said dies, the guides on one wing provided with horizontal projections that extend past said dies.

6. A machine for perforating cinematographic film comprising a table provided with perforating dies, wings mounted at opposite ends of said table and each capable of transverse movement, and guide plates mounted on said wings and providing a passageway on opposite sides of said dies. the guides on one wing provided with horizontal projections that extend past said dies and both of said guide plates provided with a plurality of rollers adapted to engage the marginal and under surface of the film strip.

7. A machine for perforating cinematographic film comprising a table provided with perforating dies, oppositely disposed wings at the ends of said table and adjustable transversely. guide plates on said wings providing a passageway upon opposite sides of said dies. one of said guide plates being vieldingly mounted with respect to its opposing guide plate. and rollers in said passageway adapted to engagethe marginal and under surface of the film strip.

8. A machine for perforating cinematographic film comprising a table provided with perforating dies. oppositely disposed wings at the ends of said table and adjustable transversely, guide plates on said wings providing a passageway upon opposite sides of said dies. one of said plates being yieldingly mounted with respect to its opposing guide plate, projections extending from one set of guide plates past said dies. and rollers in said passageway adapted to engage the marginal and under surface of the film strip.

9. A machine for perforating cinematographic film comprising a table provided with perforating dies. oppositely disposed wings transversely adjustable upon the ends of the table, guide plates carried by said wings, upper and lower sets of rollers adapted to engage the marginal portions of the film strip, and intermediate rollers below the film adapted to engage the under surface of the latter.

10. A machine for perforating cinematographic film comprising a table provided with perforating dies. oppositely disposed wings transverselv adjustable upon the end of the table, guide plates carried by said wings, one of which is yieldingly disposed with respect to its coasting guide, upper and State of Illinois, this 27th day of February,

lower sets of rollers adapted to engage the 1917.

marginal portions of the film strip, and ALBERT S. HOWELL. intermediate rollers below the film adapted Witnesses: 5 to engage the under surface of the letter. E. K. LUNDY, 512,

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook, and H. SLACK. 

